Linoleic acid found in vegetables and seed oils may be the biggest contributor to chronic disease in the Western world. Read the shocking findings here.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Fats are the primary building block of your cell membranes. This is one of the reasons why eating the right types of fat is so important for your health and longevity

While most nutritional experts blame the epidemic of chronic disease on the increase in sugar consumption, the role of sugar is relatively minor when compared to the impact of seed oils

There are two basic types of fatty acids, based on how many of their carbon bonds are paired with hydrogen: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are further subdivided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), depending on how many pairs of hydrogen atoms they are missing

Because your tissues are made up mostly of saturated and monounsaturated fats, your body requires more of them than PUFAs

The main dietary PUFAs are omega-3 and omega-6 fats, and while your body does need these, it needs them in relatively small quantities. The most pernicious toxin in the modern diet, and the fat you need to minimize consumption of, is the omega-6 fat linoleic acid (LA). LA makes up 60% to 80% of omega-6 fats and is the primary contributor to chronic disease